Listen to FULL STREAMS of the American Idol 12 Top 6 studio recordings. This week, the finalists sang the songs of Burt Bacharach and Hal David plus songs “I Wish I Had Written.
Angie Miller – “Anyone Who Had A Heart” – Download from iTunes – Everything that was wrong with the live version – the over-enunciation, the total disconection from the song–is a problem here. It’s like she’s having an out of body experience.
Amber Holcomb – “I Say A Little Prayer” – Download from iTunes – Now this, I like much more than the live version. Her phrasing is fantastic. She truly puts her own spin on the song. And she’s got a bit of swag here. Well done.
Lazaro Arbos – “Close to You” – Download from iTunes – NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO.
Kree Harrison – ”What the World Needs Now” – Download from iTunes – Lovely. Particularly the a’cappella intro. But it’s not the kind of song she’d perform in the real world. At least I hope not.
Janelle Arthur– “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” – Download from iTunes – Not the right song for Janelle. The song smothers her personality. Boring.
Candice Glover – “Don’t Make Me Over” – Download from iTunes – Another fantastic performance from Candice. Girl can sang. I’m not loving the arrangement here. It needs more oomph.
Angela Miller – “Love Came Down” – Download from iTunes – What a difference the right song makes. This isn’t my thing at all. But even I can here the commitment here, that was completely absent from the Bacharach tune.
Amber Holcomb – “Love On Top” – Download from iTunes – Snappy! As boring as she is on the show at times, listening to her recordings, it’s obvious she’s got potential as a recording artist. In a couple of years, she could be a force.
Lazaro Arbos – “Angels” – Download from iTunes – Ugh. Blarg. Meh.
Kree Harrison – ”Help Me Make it Through The Night” – Download from iTunes – This recording is absolutely stunning. Everything that’s great about Kree’s voice is on display here: The warmth, exquisite phrasing, wonderful storytelling. It’s my personal favorite of all the recordings.
Janelle Arthur – “The Dance” – Download from iTunes – A sweet, pretty and heartfelt performance of this beloved. song.
Candice Glover – “Love Song” – Download from iTunes – I prefer the shorter live verion, it packed a much harder punch. The recording could have lost about a minute, but still, Candice’s vocal is jazzy, soulful and gorgeous. Girlfriend is at the top of the pack.
